6AM City In-house

Honor MLK’s legacy by volunteering

Local volunteer opportunities for MLK Day
Two ladies taping up boxes smiling
Volunteering can bring a smile to your face and to others. | Photo provided by God’s Pantry Food Bank
Each year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed as a federal holiday on the third Monday of January — Jan. 16 this year. The theme for this year is “Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems,” according to The King Center — a nonprofit founded by MLK’s wife, Coretta Scott King, to continue Dr. King’s legacy.

If you have time to dedicate to the Louisville community, here are three local volunteer opportunities:
  • Louisville Urban League | This civil rights-focused organization has two main volunteer tracts: organizational and operational — which means you can serve on one of its committees or aid staff and clients in the League’s programs.
  • Metro United Way | Improve access to equitable education, economic opportunity, and health in Metro United Way’s seven-county service radius when you donate your time as a tutor, landscaper, or supply drive organizer.
  • Feed Louisville | Help make the 500 meals produced in Feed Louisville’s headquarters weekly — with the option to cook during regular hours or at night — or help distribute meals and perform outreach.
Aside from lending a hand, you can also commemorate MLK by attending one of these local events.
  • Keepers of the Dream: A Community Arts Celebration of Dr. King’s Vision | Sunday, Jan. 15 | 5 p.m. | Kentucky Center for the Arts, 501 W. Main St., Louisville | Free | See performances from River City Drum Corp, Keen Dance, Young Prodigys, Redline Performing Arts, and more at this theatrical program highlighting Dr. King’s journey.
  • Muhammad Ali Center | Monday, Jan. 16 | 11:30 a.m. | Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. 6th St., Louisville | Free | Get free admission to the Muhammad Ali Center, and catch one of the hourly viewings of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.
Looking for other ways to get involved? Check out more local volunteer opportunities through the link below.
20+ MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Louisville Ballet

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Jan. 12
  • Workshop of the Month: Hoya Trellis | Thursday, Jan. 19 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Mahonia, 822 E. Market St., Louisville | $70 | Create a plant trellis with light refreshments provided.
Friday, Jan. 13
  • Horror Poetry Night | Friday, Jan. 13 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Butcher Cabin Books, 990 Barret Ave., Louisville | Free | Make your Friday the 13th extra spooky at this reading hosted by writer Dante Novario.
Saturday, Jan. 14
  • Sturdy Birdies | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Louisville Nature Center, 3745 Illinois Ave., Louisville | $0-$15 | Learn how animals survive in the winter during a short hike.
  • “Close” at Speed Cinema | Saturday, Jan. 14 | 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. | Speed Art Museum, 2035 S. Third St., Louisville | $15 | Join the Talk Cinema screening of “Close” directed by Lukas Dhont, which has been shortlisted for the Best International Film Oscar.
We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS
6AM City In-house

Travel and Outdoors

4 destinations to visit this winter for under $300 ✈️
Presented by a LOUtoday Partner
LOU-South Beach Miami SDF-1.12.22.jpg
If you’re dreaming of a white sand beach, Miami is one of our top four destination picks to visit this winter. | Photo via Unsplash
Did you know? Winter is a great time to travel due to lower fares and smaller crowds — and Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport’s 37 nonstop destinations and low fare options make it easier than ever to hit the skies.

Here are four of our top winter destination picks (all under $300 round trip):

Miami
$224+ | Late February | See fares + book
  • Miami Design District, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, hopping nightlife
  • Famous white sand beaches (where January and February temperatures average mid-70s)
Los Angeles
$148+ | Late January | See fares + book
  • Theme parks and good eats galore
  • Palm trees + sunny weather in Malibu, Santa Monica, Laguna Beach, and more
Orlando
$130+ | Early March | See fares + book
  • Disney World (and other theme parks), where winter means lighter crowds
  • Universal Studios, Legoland, Kennedy Space Center
New Orleans
$122+ | Late February | See fares + book
  • French Quarter, Uptown, Garden District, Frenchman Street
  • Mardi Gras kicks off Feb. 21 (Pro tip: Plan ahead)
Ticket prices subject to change.*
BOOK WHILE PRICES ARE LOW

Weather
  • 59º | Thunderstorm | 90% chance of rain
Outdoors
  • Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF reaches its closest point to the sun today, Jan. 12. For your best odds of catching this once-in-600-lifetimes spectacle, watch northwestern dark skies during the Saturday, Jan. 21 new moon, or on the night of Wednesday, Feb. 1, when it’s closest to Earth. (Space.com)
Community
  • The 2023 Kentucky Visitor’s Guide is out and you know the Kentucky Department of Tourism didn’t forget about Louisville. Nulu Marketplace’s horse mural graces the cover and Louisville darlings like The Pine Room and the Kentucky Derby Festival are featured inside.
Try This
  • The Local Seltzery is celebrating its one-year anniversary, and you’re invited. On Friday, Jan. 20, 5:30-8:30 p.m., head to the NuLu Marketplace to enjoy buy-one-get-one drinks and try out its new “Create Your Own Seltzer” menu. 🍹
Civic
Holiday
  • The Lunar New Year is coming up and we have just the way to celebrate the year of the rabbit. On Saturday, Jan. 21 join District 6 and bubble tea shop, Honeydew for a pre-fixe dinner featuring lucky foods — think dumplings — and a lion dance performance. Email for reservations. 🎊
Eat
  • To help you work smarter, not harder in 2023, here’s a list of go-to, easy-to-make, healthy recipes from Kroger. Pro tip: Read now and bookmark for later. 💡*
Wellness
  • Oh hey, January. The key to keeping your spirits up and avoiding seasonal affective disorder this time of year? Sunlight. Magic up more sunshine indoors with a light therapy lamp. This glare-free mood light is height and angle adjustable, while this subtly designed lamp lets you adjust light warmth and brightness. ☀️*
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History

Dr. King’s ties and impact on Louisville and Kentucky
Four men stand looking at documents in a black and white image. From left: Frank Stanley Jr., Jackie Robinson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Kentucky Governor Edward T. Breathitt.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was joined by Frank Stanley, Jr. and Jackie Robinson when he met with Kentucky Governor Edward T. Breathitt in March 1964. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Louisville might not be the first place to come to mind when thinking about Martin Luther King Jr., but he has more connections to Derby City (and Kentucky at large) than you might think.

A.D. King

Dr. King’s brother, A.D. King was a pastor in Louisville at the Zion Baptist Church. He began serving as a pastor at the church in 1965, and led protests to seek open housing for African Americans. Dr. King visited River City at least three times to see his brother.

Following the assassination of his brother in 1968, A.D. King left Zion Baptist and returned to Atlanta.
A black and white photo of Jackie Robinson, Georgia Davis Powers, and Lawrence Montgomery standing outside, backdropped by a crowd of people.

Jackie Robinson, Georgia Davis Powers, and Lawrence Montgomery attended the March on Frankfort in 1964.

Photo via the Frazier History Museum Collection

The March on Frankfort

Dr. King delivered his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, but he also led a march on a different capitol city the following year.

In perhaps his most influential trip to Kentucky, Dr. King led the March on Frankfort in March 1964 — seven years after he gave the commencement speech at Kentucky State University in the same city. Alongside Georgia Davis Powers and Jackie Robinson, an estimated 10,000 Kentuckians marched on the state capitol. This led to the passage of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act in 1966 — and A.D. King was invited to its signing.

King’s 1967 visit to UofL

Just a year before his death, Dr. King made another notable stop in Derby City. The University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law invited Dr. King to speak ahead of a meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that was taking place in town.

When King arrived, the law school’s auditorium couldn’t contain the crowd. Onlookers bunched around windows, just to catch a glimpse of him. The year had seen demonstrations on racial discrimination in Louisville’s housing market, and King’s remarks focused on the issue.

His visit + speech made an impact. Later that year, the Board of Alderman (similar to today’s Metro Council) approved an open housing ordinance, making Louisville the first city in the South to pass such a measure.

Dr. King’s impact is still felt on Louisville today. Local civil rights leader Raoul Cunningham heard Dr. King speak while still a student at Male High School, met him several times, and evenbrought Dr. King to Louisville for a voting drive in 1967. Cunningham served as the head of the Louisville NAACP for 20 years, citing Dr. King as a major influence on his work.
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Jessalin.

Editor’s pick: I love the Lunar New Year. My family celebrates the new year with ozoni (a lucky soup made with mochi), but dinner at District 6 with lion dancing is stiff competition.

The dance will be performed by River Lotus Lion Dance, a nonprofit group that performs around Louisville. They have a donation page if you want to support them.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Learn about The Keswick — a hot dog spot turned bar in Shelby Park.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Katie Molck, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.


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